The siege of Jerusalem: the dates of the years of iniquity leading to
Israel's judgment

Besides the general judgment that God pronounced upon the condition of
Israel, Jerusalem -- on whom lay all the iniquity of the people now
come to its height -- appears before God whom she had despised. The
prophet, in representing the siege of Jerusalem, was also to point out
the years of iniquity that had led to this judgment: for Israel in
general, 390; for Judah, 40. It is certain that these dates do not
refer to the duration of the kingdom of Israel apart from Judah, nor
to that of Judah, because the kingdom of Israel only lasted about 254
years, while that of Judah continued about 134 years after the fall of
Samaria. It would appear that the longer period mentioned is reckoned
from the separation of the ten tribes under Rehoboam, counting the
years as those of Israel, because from that moment Israel had a
separate existence, and comprised the great body of the nation; while
Judah was everything during the reign of Solomon, which lasted forty
years. After his reign Judah would be comprised in the general name of
Israel according to Ezekiel's usual habit, although on certain
occasions he distinguishes them on account of the position of Zedekiah
and of God's future dealings. The reason for using this name of Israel
for the whole is plain enough, namely, that the captivity had placed
the whole nation in the same condition and under one common judgment,
and Israel was the name of the whole people. The entire nation was now
set aside, and a Gentile kingdom established. Judah is sometimes
distinguished, because there was still a remnant at Jerusalem --
judged indeed yet more severely than the mass, but which nevertheless
existed, and which will have distinct circumstances in their history
until the last days. The same thing happens in the New Testament. In
the language of the apostles the twelve tribes are blended.
Nevertheless, as a matter of history, the Jews -- that is to say,
those of Judah -- are always distinct. In the main, Ezekiel prophesied
under the same circumstances. Hence, in part, as we have said, his
title of "son of man," given also to Daniel, as well as that
of "man greatly beloved." The man of power was
Nebuchadnezzar. But he who represented the race before God was an
Ezekiel, as the man of desire was a Daniel, a man beloved of God.

With respect to the date, it is certain that the 390 years are almost
exactly the time of Israel's duration from the death of Solomon to the
destruction of the temple. Some persons have wished to reckon the
forty years of Judah from Josiah's passover down to the same period,
supposing that the destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar took
place four or five years after the captivity of Zedekiah; but this was
not the case -- it was a month later in the same year. Jehoiachin was
carried into captivity in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings
24: 12). Zedekiah reigned eleven years (Jer. 52: 1). In the nineteenth
year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzar-adan burnt the house of Jehovah, and,
reading from verse 6, we see that it was a month after in the same
year. In taking the forty years of Judah to be the reign of Solomon,
it would be saying that Israel had done nothing but sin ever since the
establishment of the kingdom, for it was only in the days of Solomon
that there was a peaceful reign. David founded the kingdom. The
responsibility of his family began with Solomon (2 Sam. 7).